Hellmouth House
by Quick-n-Popular
Summary: Buffy awakes and finds herself in an Institution. Everyone she knows is either a patient or part of the staff. While she tries to find her way out of her new enviornment, she also tries to convince a new fledgling doctor that he's someone that she knows.
1. The Sunnydale Institute

**"Hellmouth House"**

By _**Quick-n-Popular**_

All things pertaining to Buffy the Vampire Slayer are sole properties of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Warner Bros. Television, and Fox Studios. The only things I can credit myself for are the characters I created for this story and the story itself.

**Chapter One: The Sunnydale Institute**

**October 18th 2001**

Dr. William Walsh waited patiently outside of Board's office at the Sunnydale Psychiatric Institute. Having recently awarded a job at this institution, he felt, however, looking at some of the residents passing him; a little overwhelmed.

This wouldn't be his first job; hell it was his third. The first institute he worked at burnt down due to some mysterious circumstances. The second he was only at temporarily and when his lease was up on the flat he had he decided to try to find work in America, landing him in Sunnydale, California.

This institute was very prestigious due to its inhabitants. The various ailments these patients had were bizarre, ranging from Schizophrenia to Disassociative Identity Disorder, or D.I.D.

From what William had heard from the Medical Journals, Sunnydale's D.I.D'ers were very peculiar.

A man walked out from the boardroom and William looked to him, attentively.

The man looked to his clipboard and then to William.

"Dr. Walsh?" He asked.

William nodded.

The other man pushed his specs up to his face and smiled. "Follow me."

William followed the doctor through the long corridor, all the while looking at the patient's room's as they passed.

"How familiar are you with this Institute, Dr. Walsh?"

William shrugged, "I've read what you guys gave to the Medical Journals, seen a piece or two on Public Television, other than that, not much."

The other doctor nodded, "Some of our cases here are rather special in nature. For example, we had a few boys and a girl who believed they were all Hyenas from Africa. They've attacked two of our orderlies and we were forced to have them sedated and kept apart from eachother, in special padded rooms."

William's eyes went wide, "Really?"

The doctor nodded.

Going further down the hall, they came around a corner and to a specially locked room. A stenciled number was on the door in black.

"Allow me to introduce you to one of our more eccentric "guests"."  
William peered in. Huddled in a corner was a short girl. She had long blonde hair, hazel eyes, and ruby colored lips; she was staring at the door and, at least to William, she looked as though she was looking right at him.

"Who's she?" William asked.

The doctor smiled, "Anne Summers, calls herself "Buffy". Why, we don't know."

William nodded, "What's her diagnosis?"

"Severe Schizophrenia, I'm afraid. She believes herself to be some sort of Vampire hunter. Calls herself "The Slayer". We've had her for about a week now."

William looked at the girl again and noticed this time she had her face pressed up against the window of the door.

She seemed to be saying something, but as to what, William couldn't hear.

"She's going to be the one we want you to attend to, Dr. Walsh. Going through your case records, we think you'll be the perfect doctor that will treat her. Do you think you'll be up to it?"

William nodded, "I believe so."

The doctor smiled, "Great." He then turned and started his way back down the hall.

William called after him, "Excuse me, I didn't catch your name. Dr.?"

The other man turned, "Dr. Rupert Giles. It'll be a pleasure having you with us, Dr. Walsh." He then continued his walking.

Dr. Walsh turned back to the window, the woman was still looking at him.

William turned away and followed the Dr. Giles out.

Inside the room, Buffy Summers watched him leave and worded:

"S…Spike…Please…Help me…"

**A/N**: This is going to be put onto a trial run, just so I can see if there's any interest, for all who read it, for me to continue it. Ergo, if you like it, review it and I'll write some more chapters. I am interested in writing this, but I need some reviews so I know writing this won't be a waste of time.

**_Q-n-P_**


	2. The First Session

Staring at her padded room, Buffy thought long and hard of what had transpired over the past week.

The earliest thing she could remember was wishing Dawn goodnight before she went out on patrol. After that, everything went dark and when she opened her eyes, she was here.

She tried her best to be relieved of her bonds but her Slayer powers were no where to be found. To make more insult to injury, this place was filled with her friends, but all of them were either barking mad or doctors who hadn't the faintest clue as to who she was.

At first, Buffy was convinced she was in some kid's nightmare of being in a loony bin, but seeing so many faces, those faces that Buffy had faced when she first came to Sunnydale; she was convinced that this place was more of something she would create than anyone else.

God knows that she has tried to escape. Unfortunately, two of the orderlies, who had an uncanny resemblance to Reily and Angel, would catch her instantly and she was thrown back in this room.

So far, she hasn't made any other attempts since.

Dawn, in this world, seemed to still be Dawn. Of course, she didn't believe Buffy, when Buffy tried to ask for her help.

Buffy sighed.

Recently, she saw Spike. He's a doctor in this world, the same as Giles.

She knew he wouldn't be any different.

Or would he?

**Chapter Two: The First Session**

Dr. William Walsh waited in his new office, while the two orderlies went to bring in Miss Anne Summers.

His office was small, but he felt it was comfortable for him and hopefully for his future patients.

There was a knock at his door.

"Come in." He said.

The Two orderlies, one of who had a tattoo of an Angel on his muscled arm, brought in Miss Summers.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Miss Summers, would take a seat?" William said, indicating to the seat in front of his desk.

She pulled her arm away from the tattooed orderly and sat down in the seat.

Both of them left, leaving the two in the room.

William noticed that Miss Summers had a rather pleading look on her face.

"How are you today, Anne?"

Miss Summers sighed, "You don't know me either, do you?"

William raised his eyebrows, "Should I?"

Miss Summers smirked, "You used to call me "pet"."

"Did I? Where do you think I know you from, Miss Summers?" William asked.

She sighed, "Well, for starters, you met me here, in Sunnydale."

William nodded as he wrote down on his pad, "When was this?"

"About five years ago. You came to this town with a woman named Drusilla."

William smiled, "Do you mean Drusilla Matthews? The Factitious Disorder patient? She's on the second floor and thinks that she's a child, still."

Her eyes widened and then she looked down at the floor.

William set his pad down and he looked at her carefully. She wasn't a typical textbook definition of delusional; she was more grounded than that. However…

"Why do you think Miss Matthews and I would come to Sunnydale, together?"

She didn't answer. Instead she looked up at him with a pained expression.

As William picked up his pen and began to write something else, he heard her whisper.

"Spike…"

The pen immediately dropped from his hand.

"Excuse me?" William's face was flustered and his eyes were wide.

A smile crept onto Miss Summers' face. "Spike. That's what you call yourself, other than William."

William tried to regain his composure.

"Well. Someone around here talks a lot. Did the orderlies tell you this, Anne?"

She shook her head.

William sighed, "I used to be called "Spike" a long time ago. Back when I lived in Surrey with my mum. That was a long time ago. How in the world it got over here…"

Miss Summers leaned forward, "I've always known you were Spike. Long before I came here."

As Miss Summers was being put back into her room, William took out his tape recorder and started putting his day's work into it.

"October Twelfth, two thousand and one. My first session with Miss Anne Summers is a puzzling one. She seems to believe that she's known me for many years, that and somehow someone here has told her my childhood nickname. Other than her belief that she's some sort of mythical vampire slayer, Miss Summers responds well to others and her environment. From her case file she has one living relative, her sister Dawn Summers. Will inquire with her before making a decision."

* * *

As she was being escorted to her room, Buffy thought about what she found out about the Spike from this world. A little wimpier than the one she knew, but his eyes still said what she knew about him.

Maybe, just maybe, she could talk to him.

**_To be continued…_**

**A/N**I know it's rather slow moving, but I'll get there. Promise.** _  
_**

**A/N II:** You review it, I'll keep on writing it.

_**Q-n-P**_


	3. A World Apart

Chapter Three: A world apart 

Buffy remembered what it was like when she first had come to this strange depiction of the world she had lived in. It was overwhelming to see so many old and familiar faces used in the setting of this, so called mental ward. In some ways, it was disheartening as to how they were used. Whatever demon, or person, had conjured up this uber-sort of reality had gone a long way.

Sitting in her padded room, Buffy paced as she thought about Spike, now Dr. William Walsh. He was kind, yet not entirely the Spike she remembered. Not the one who was so taken with her in his own weird sense.

Buffy sighed. Could she really get to him? Was he the link to separating herself from this bizarre plane of existence?

Her attention was diverted as there was a knock to her cell and she found herself frozen as she saw who it was that came through. Pushing a cart with man meals on trays, a goofy looking man with big ears, whistled the theme to "Star Wars" as he took a tray off of the cart.

"Mornin', Anne. How are you today?"

Xander.

This was the first time she had encountered his doppelganger, his otherworldly persona in this strange place.

"Xander?" She looked at him in disbelief.

Xander nodded, "Not too many know my name, or care to remember it. Here's your mac'n cheese along with a spork. Miss Jenkins will be by shortly to do your bathing, just a reminder; and hey, try to put in a good word for me with her, will ya?" His, as usual, goofy smile spread across his face as he laid Buffy's tray in front of her.

Buffy felt like crying. Xander seemed to be oblivious to knowing her as did Giles, Dawn, and Spike. She wondered how much more she could take of this world.

"See ya later, Anne." Xander said as he then left the room.

Dr. William Walsh sat behind his desk as Riley and Liam came in with a Miss Willow Rosenberg, who continually struggled against the hulking men, as they placed her firmly in the seat in front of Dr. Walsh.

Looking over her case study, while only glimpsing at her a few moments, William was astounded by reading her case study to find out that this brazen woman was once one of the brilliant members of her year at Sunnydale High. Unfortunately, according to her file, her lover, a Miss Tara Maclay, and a friend of theirs, Amy Madison, had all been involved in Witchcraft. Harmless, at first, according to recorded statements by all the girls' parents, their practice of the craft soon became increasingly violent which led to isolation from their families and their peers. While Miss Madison's whereabouts were unconfirmed, both Willow and Tara had experienced something more dark. Tara, for some reason, had fallen into a catatonic-state, being oblivious to the whole world around her and everyone in it. Willow, on the other hand, had gone off the deep end and fell into a schizophrenic state, believing, in her own mind, that she was a powerful Witch, capable of the most supernatural. She had been restricted to a straight jacket as she was violently attacking the orderly and hospital staff. Willow's eyes starred narrowingly at William as he set down her case file and turned on his tape recorder, before addressing her.

"Good Morning, Miss Rosenberg. How are you today?"

Willow blew some stray hairs that had curtained her face as she continued to stare venomously at Dr. Walsh.

"What do you think, doc?"

Dr. Walsh sighed and looked down at her file. "It seems you're fighting the Thorazene we've been giving you. Don't you realize we're trying to help you, Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow closed her eyes and began chanting, "Hathos…Greeda…Secilous…Doona…"

William sighed, "What are you doing?"

Willow threw her head back and cackled, which took William by surprise.

"I'm making your person as small as your feeble brain, you pathetic mortal!"

Dr. Walsh leaned forward and wrote some notes down on his desk. As he did so, he noticed something from Miss Rosenberg. She seemed to be watching.

The Orderly, Riley, behind Willow, looked at is watch. "Doc, we have to take her back now for electroshock treatment."

Dr. Walsh sighed and nodded. "He then noticed Willow's whole demeanor changed by the term "electroshock treatment" as she began pleading.

"No! No! I won't go back there again! Tara! Please! Help me! Buffy! Spike!"

"Wait." William said, surprised at the names Willow chose to call for help.

Riley sighed, "Doc, you better make it quick."

William nodded he looked to Willow. "How do you know Miss Summers, Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow looked away as if trying to find an answer to move around the name she had blurted out. "S-Someone said, it." She said, feebly.

William studied her and then waived a dismissive hand to Riley and he proceeded to escort her out the room, all the while she continued to struggle.

As soon as she had left with the orderlies, William stopped his tape recorder, rewound it, and then played it back and listened to the part where she made her frantic cries, omitting Anne Summer's name "Buffy" along with William's childhood name, "Spike". What troubled Dr. Walsh, was that first, there was no written account of Miss Rosenberg and Miss Summers having ever come into contact with eachother, neither here nor outside the institute before admission. Secondly, the two couldn't have possibly have been discussed of in front of either one, as the staffs on their floors were separate and discussion of patients was strictly forbidden. It was a puzzle, as was her knowledge of his childhood name, like Miss Summers had known.

Dr. William Walsh decided to write a note to ask Miss Summers about her knowledge of Willow Rosenberg during their next session.

Buffy was beginning to feel that whoever had created this world for to be trapped in either had a sick idea in mind or was completely psychotic. However, they did seem to get all the facts right, even with the personalities of the people she knew.

"All men are pigs, it's a pity that God hadn't turned them all into ones and left us with the decent bunch of the group."

Anya, or the person who resembled her, was giving waiting outside the shower room, smoking a cigarette, leaning against the side of the shower stall. "Take the men on this staff. I know ALL of them are just waiting for me to bend over to pick up something in hopes they'll get a good look at my goods. Trust me, Summers, they should ALL be locked up here. At least the insane ones have common decency."

Buffy tried not to laugh, remembering her Anya in all her "male-hating" ways both as the demon Anyanka and as her human persona, Anya Jenkins.

As soon as Buffy had finished cleansing herself, she was refitted with the pearly-white T-shirt and sweat pants that the hospital had. Anya escorted her down a long corridor past multiple rooms, where several of the inhabitants pressed their faces against the window as she passed. Some of them Buffy recognized. One of them was the Mayor of Sunnydale, whose mouth was disgustingly frothing. Another was Glory who seemed to be singing.

Buffy shook her head; someone had really dug deep.

They were about to enter her own room, when Spike, or Dr. Walsh, as he was called here; came up.

"Miss Summers, care to take a walk with me?"

"Careful Summers." Anya said, scowling at Spike, "This one looks like one of "them"." She walked away as Buffy walked out of her room with Spike.

"What did she mean by that?" Dr. Walsh asked her.

Buffy sighed, "Anya's being Anya, that's all. Where are we going?"

Spike then looked at her, questioningly. "You aren't going to try and run again, are you Miss Summers?"

Buffy stood straight and raised two fingers. "Scout's honor."

Spike smiled and nodded, he walked with her down the hall toward a hallway she hadn't been to, so far.

"Do you know of a Miss Rosenberg, Miss Summers?" He asked, not looking at her as they continued on ahead.

Buffy looked at him, studying his face. "Willow?" She asked.

William smiled, "I'll take that as a 'yes', then. Yes, Miss Willow Rosenberg, do you know her?"

Buffy nodded, "I know Will', sure. I went to school with her here at Sunnydale High."

Spike raised a finger, "Aw, but here's the thing, Miss Summers, you haven't."

Buffy scowled at him in confusion, as they continued down the hallway, briefly before stopping in front of a large window looking in on a room where patients were strapped to their beds.

William continued, not telling her why they were here, "You, Miss Summers, have never before been to Sunnydale, California until your younger sister admitted you to this institute about three months ago. Do you remember why?"

Buffy decided she had better play along if she was ever going to gain his trust, no matter how convoluted this story was that he was telling her.

"No, I don't." She replied and she feigned an innocent look.

William directed her attention to the window to the right of them and Buffy looked on in. To her surprise, a lot of the patients in there resembled vamps, only their faces were redder, scarred, and their eyes looked more human than inhuman.

Are these the "vampires" you've been "slaying", Anne?" He asked her.

Buffy looked around at them and add more to her astonishment, one of them closely resembled "The Master". She could see the clipboard that was on his bed and saw that this man's name was Harry Gerber.

Buffy sighed, she tried to regain her composer and act innocent, again. "Sort of." She answered.

Spike smiled, "Well, they're not "Vampires", Miss Summers. They're fire victims, burn victims, and victims of disfigurement. All of whom have been admitted here due to a psychological problem attributed to their looks." He looked to Buffy as if she was a long lost friend. "Anne, don't you realize what you have mistaken? At your school in Los Angeles, you, and your boyfriend, Oliver Pike, had burnt down the gymnasium out of vengeance against the man who had raped you at a very young age, Mr. Albert Merrick."

_You've got to be kidding me._ Buffy thought. _Is this the best they can come up with to try and convince me that I'm insane?_

William continued, "It was after the fire, seeing the victims that, I believe, you were so traumatized by the experience that sort of lashed out against people who resembled those that you had hurt, people who looked like this." He indicated toward the patients behind the window.

"It was after your arrest for killing a homeless man, that your sister and your lawyer had the judge admit you here, to Sunnydale Institute. You Sister felt a change of scenery from LA would do you some good. So, you can see, Miss Summers, you have never before set foot into Sunnydale, California. Therefore, I ask you, how do you and Willow Rosenberg know of eachother?"

Buffy smiled, "I'm a Slayer, she's a Witch, you are not who you think you are, and this place doesn't exist. That's how."

William sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Well, maybe for now, but soon both you and Miss Rosenberg will discover that you're not who YOU say you are and that you've been living a delusion." William then led her back to her room and Riley, the orderly, closed the door.

William watched her through the small window of her room as she went to the back of her padded place and sat in the far-left corner.

Dr. William Walsh watched her with sadness. She was lucid, but only to an extent. Very intelligent, lively, yet withdrawn from the world like so many others that suffered from the disorder.

_How does she know so much about Miss Rosenberg? _William thought to himself. He decided that he'd better discuss this with Dr. Giles and keep closer study on both Miss Summers and Miss Rosenberg. He then turned and left.

Buffy rocked herself as she sat on the floor of her room. There was a certain comfort she felt from the discussion she had with "Dr. Spike". Willow was here and for some reason she knew Buffy. Now, Buffy felt content that maybe, between the two of them, they could figure out why they were here and how to get out.

To be continued…

A/N: Due to the other stories I'm writing, this one will be placed on the back burner, at least for awhile. I need more reviews to really motivate me (about two or three will do) to complete this more and more often. Not to be shallow, but if there isn't any interest then I fail to have any in writing these.

So, tit for tat. You review, I'll keep on writing.

Q-n-P


	4. Making a Break

**Chapter Four: Making a Break**

Buffy paced in her padded room as she tried to devise up a plan to find Willow and for the two of them to escape this place. Remembering fully well of the times she had tried to escape on her own and had the two orderlies, Riley and Liam, come crashing down on her, each and everytime. Buffy sighed as she continued to think. This was all too familiar as it reminded her of the time she was being tested by the Watcher's Council and she had her power stripped as they tested her against a mentally-incapacitated Vampire. He wasn't all that incapacitated as he broke free of his restraints and tracked Buffy down and soon kidnapped her mother. That was the worst feeling she could ever remember. Being defenseless, weak, with only limited abilities as any normal human girl could have. Buffy promised herself long ago that she would never allow herself to feel that helpless, again. Now, she was in a similar situation, one where she was without her powers and only had her wits to survive her dangerous, unpredictable, environment.

Tearing off a loose piece of fabric in the room, Buffy carefully used her fingernail on her index finger and grazed the point of the other finger on her other hand. Pressing firmly, she drew blood. Then, using the piece of fabric, she made a crude layout of the hospital; all of the entrances, exits, every place she had been or seen. When she finished she tore off some more of the lining of the wall and wrapped it around her finger to cut off the blood flow and allow healing. Buffy sat down, applying pressure to her finger, and looked at the drawing she had made. She had a goal, now, one that involved someone else other than herself. Getting to Willow was the top priority and there was only one conceivable way of doing it. She had to fully cooperate with "Dr. Spike".

* * *

Sitting in Dr. Giles' office, William ran his fingers through his bleach-blonde hair as he waited for Giles to finish looking over William's noted about Miss Summers and Miss Rosenberg. Giles soon smiled, to William's surprise, and looked up from the notes.

"Someone here has been disregarding the rules, I see."

William wasn't sure what he was referring to. "Sir?"

Giles laid the folder down and put his hands together. "It says in your notes that Miss Summers and Miss Rosenberg, for some reason, have knowledge of eachother, personal knowledge. I believe either our orderlies or, most likely, Mr. Harris has been talking about other patients with the patients, themselves. It's quite simple, Dr. Walsh."

William had a lingering doubt, but it did seem reasonable that this was just a matter of some people not following procedures and Hospital policy.

"How do you want me to handle this, doctor?" William asked.

Giles smiled and got up, which William followed in suit, and Giles escorted him to the door. "Have no worries, Dr. Walsh. I'll handle this, personally. You just keep on working with Misses Summers and Rosenberg and I believe you'll be making great progress. I can see from your notes that you've begun to do just that."

William's face brightened and he walked out with a determination.

Dr. Giles watched him go down the hall, on the way to his office, before shutting the door. Then, he looked to his hand against the door. It wasn't human but had reverted to a hairy seven-fingered clawed hand. He smiled and went back to his desk. Opening a drawer, he brought out a small glass that had a hair floating in a blue glowing liquid. Taking a deep gulp, "Giles" drank the entire contents of the drink. Setting the glass down, "Giles" looked at his demonic hand, flexing it. Soon it reverted back to its normal, human looking, form.

_Got to be more careful._ He thought to himself.

* * *

Buffy tucked the rolled piece of fabric in between her cleavage as Riley and Liam came to escort her to Dr. Spike's office. Buffy, as always, followed, obediently, as both men took her arms and led her down the florescent-lighted hallway. Despite knowing fully well that neither of them were the people they represented, Buffy felt a twinge of girlish giddiness for having both of them at her sides. Putting the juvenile thought in the back of her mind and focusing at the task at hand, Buffy stopped in front of Dr. Spike's office as Liam opened the door and Riley guided her through it and inside.

Riley finally let her go and she walked forward and sat herself in front of Dr. Spike's desk, Spike looked rather happy at the moment.

"Good Morning, Anne." He said. Writing some notes on his paper and then brought out a tape recorder.

"Mornin' Spike." Buffy said.

"Its Dr. Walsh, Miss Summers. Please call me by that name, only." He said.

"And Mine's Buffy." Buffy said, smirking. "Anne's my middle name."

Spike turned on the tape recorder and began. "Do you remember what we discussed in our last session?"

Buffy nodded.

"Have you had time to think about what we've discussed?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

Buffy thought of, instead, of what she could do with Riley and Liam in the room. She quickly got back to the question Dr. Spike posed at her.

"Yes." She answered.

Spike nodded and wrote some notes. "And?"

Buffy took a deep breath, closed her eyes as she spoke. "You make it all seem so simple, so ordinary." She opened her eyes and noticed Spike leaning against the desk, his arms crossed against it.

"That my life, the one I've led, has been nothing but something that I've created to escape from ordinary horrors. That this place, or whatever it is, is a hospital and all the people in, people I've either fought or have fought along side are who they are. All of this is what it is, if what you say is true."

Spike nodded, "It is what it is, Miss Summers."

Buffy smiled. "But here's the thing. Never once have you asked me how I know you're real name, the name not given to you when you were a kid, but a name you've given yourself."

Spike leaned back, smiling ruefully. "How do you think I was given it, then?"

Buffy leaned forward. "By killing people and impaling them on railroad spikes."

Spike's eyes went wide, but the smile remained. "Is that so? So, in your mind, Anne, I'm a murder, is that it?"

"More than that," Buffy said, "You're a vampire, William the bloody."

The smile on Spike's face vanished and it was replaced with a frown.

Buffy smiled all the more she looked over to Liam, "As is he, as are a lot of those you showed me yesterday. So you see, I know for a fact that I'M sane. The question is, are you sure you are?"

Spike sighed, "Says the patient to the doctor."

Buffy shrugged, "Life is what you make it. There are compromises, complications, and there are facts that we have to live with."

"Yet you refuse to accept those facts." Spike said, pointing a finger at her.

From the corner of her eye, Buffy eyed the nightstick that was attached to the side of Riley's side; she looked back to Spike.

"Everything's a fight for survival. For freedom, for sanity, for self-preservation, for looking good for that date, for-" In one quick fluid motion, Buffy jerked her body to the left, reached and grabbed hold of Riley's nightstick, removed it, and swung hard to the right of her, hitting Liam in the face. She then swung back to the left and hit Riley in the stomach as he tried to reach for his stick and now bellowed over. Buffy stood up and hit Liam, who was clutching at his, now, broken nose, and struck him across the head, knocking him on his back.

Spike got up, yelling for her to stop.

Buffy went behind Riley, who was in the process of getting back up, and stepped down, hard, against the back of his right knee, forcing him down on the ground; she brought the nightstick against his throat with force.

Spike removed himself from the desk and was going to the back wall to press the alarm button, when Buffy shouted at him.

"Don't! Not unless you want more carnage on your hands, Spike." Her breathing was hard, as it had taken a lot of energy to do what she had done; her vision was beginning to get spotty.

Spike seemed to get the message as he backed away from the wall and returned to his desk.

"Where do we go from here, Anne?" He asked.

Buffy struggled with Riley as he was trying to pry his nightstick away from his throat, which Buffy continued putting pressure against.

"First," Buffy said, "You'll tell me where they're keeping Will'."

Buffy looked, carefully, out of the door of Spike's office and looked back behind her. She had tied up all three men in snap-ties Liam and Riley had on them, and had knocked all three out. She sighed, she knew that this was the only way and that these men weren't who they were, but still…

Shaking the thought from her head, Buffy turned back to the door and opened it and peered out around, noting that it was safe to proceed forward. Buffy crept out , holding Riley's nightstick close in hand as she walked alongside the wall to the elevator at the far end of the long hallway. She quickly darted into an open room as she heard a nearby door open.

She watched from the side of the door as Xander and Anya walked past, both seemed to be in a heated discussion of Anya telling Xander off and Xander trying to weasel his way into a date with her.

Buffy smiled to herself, yet felt a twinge of sadness as she recalled Anya's death here at Sunnydale, or rather the Sunnydale that once existed. Buffy turned as she heard a voice behind her. She gripped the nightstick firmly and held it in stance as she looked to see who was behind her. There, strapped to a bed, to Buffy's surprise, was Jenny Calendar. Her eyes were watching Buffy, in curiosity and mild-amusement.

Buffy, in an unconscionable response, approached Jenny's bed, slowly.

Jenny seemed to be watching her in complete serenity.

Buffy noticed how there was a gag in Jenny's mouth and she used the nightstick to remove it. Jenny coughed and hacked; she then closed her eyes and licked her lips.

"Miss Calendar?" Buffy asked.

A playful grin spread across Jenny's face. She then rolled her head back and forth and then grinned.

"Jenny?" Buffy asked again.

Jenny took a deep breath and then let out an ear-piercing scream. Her body jerked wildly.

Buffy realized as to why the gag was there in the first place. She put her hand over Jenny's mouth only to retract it when Jenny bot down hard on Buffy's hand; she then resumed her screaming.

Knowing fully well of the attention this was bringing, Buffy took the pillow underneath Jenny's head and pressed it against Jenny's face as she grabbed the mouth gag and put it back in Jenny's mouth, strapping it back in place. Jenny jerked more violently, making small sobs as Buffy quickly left the room. Buffy darted around the corner and into a different room, this one vacated, as some orderlies went into Jenny's room.

Buffy cursed herself for her carelessness and tried to regain her breath as she found herself slumping against the wall with exhaustion. Never before since has she felt this worn out or over exerted. She knew she needed to press on forward, she need to find Willow and find a way for them to get out of here. She had a mission to her herself and her friend.

Taking one last moment, Buffy then looked around the corner of the door for assurance of safe passage. Once she was confident that it was safe to go back out, again, she slowly went back to the side of the wall and made her way to the elevator.

Pressing the up button, Buffy looked around her, tensely, as she felt any sudden arrival could bring her down in a flash. She sighed as the elevator "dinged" and the doors opened. Stepping inside, she found herself face-to-face with Xander.

"What are you-" He began, but Buffy put her hand over his mouth and pushed him to the back of the elevator as the doors closed. She pressed the button for the fourth floor and then let her hand go of his mouth. Xander moved to the corner, looking terrifyingly at Buffy.

"Are…Are you going to kill me?" He said, eyeing her nightstick.

Buffy smiled, "Not today, Xander."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "You know you won't get far. The orderlies will be on you quicker than a cop on a doughnut."

Buffy grinned, "They'll have to catch me, first."

They reached the fourth floor and Buffy turned to Xander. "Are you going to tell them?"

Xander shook his head; "I don't want any part of it. They don't pay me enough."

Buffy smiled and, to Xander's surprise, kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." She said. She quickly vacated the elevator, hearing behind her Xander stuttering a "you're welcome."

Buffy walked alongside the wall, remembering the way, which Spike told her. In this part of the hospital, the rooms were windowless and it seemed colder than the hallway she had been previously. Buffy clung herself to the wall as a nurse took a deeply scarred man around the corner by his arm.

"Easy there, Adam, no need to work yourself up." She said as Adam was violently shaking and muttering something under his breath.

Buffy stared at this version of the man who nearly killed her. He had partial hair and was hooked up to an IV that he shakily pulled with him as the nurse directed him to another room. He seemed rather sad, confused, and frightened, like a child that was away from home for the first time. Buffy waited until the two of them were fully in the room before proceeding down the hallway.

Willow was situated in a large room at the end of a hallway, where she and several others were strapped to beds. None of the others Buffy recognized, but she hadn't really looked as she went straight for Willow's bed; Willow was sleeping, her eyes darting back and forth underneath her eye lids.

Buffy sat down next to her and looked to the nightstand next to her and saw several pill bottles. Buffy hoped that whatever they had her on had little effect that the two of them could talk. Most of all, Buffy hoped her thoughts were correct and that Will' was who she has always been and that she too was stuck in this hellhole.

Buffy gentle shook Willow's arm, "Will'?"

Willow's eyes opened and she turned her head at Buffy; she smiled. This reminded Buffy too much of Miss Calendar's first response, and she hoped what happened wouldn't repeat itself.

"Mmmm…Buffy, you're here." She said.

Buffy sighed out of relief.

"This is a nice dream…" Willow said, dreamily as she closed her eyes and repositioned her head to go back asleep again.

Buffy shook her arm again. "Oh, no you don't. Don't fall asleep on me, Will'. You're not dreaming."

Willow's eyes then came wide open. "I'm not?"

Buffy shook her head.

Willow then frantically looked around and then back at Buffy. "Y-You're really here, then?"

Buffy nodded, smiling.

"Buffy? How did we get here? What is this place!" She started to jerk her arms, frantically, and her eyes were alive with panic.

Buffy tried to restrain her, fearing that her little outburst would cause attention to the others in the other beds and cause a ruckus that would alert them to others.

"Easy there, Will'. I'll get us out of here, don't worry." Buffy then began to pull at the leather straps, thus releasing her friend who then immediately grabbed Buffy into a fierce hug.

Buffy smiled, "Missed me, huh?"

Willow began sobbing, "Oh, Buffy. This place is so awful. Xander's here, Anya's here, even Spike and Giles. None of them remember me! They've been shocking me, poking me, prodding me, doing all these horrible things and I can't do a thing to stop them! I'm powerless, helpless, and hopeless. I feared you weren't going to come and-"

Buffy patted her friend on the back, "There, there, now." Buffy held her awhile longer as she continued to sob against her shoulder. Once she had regained control of herself, Buffy looked at her. "I'm here now, Will', and between the two of us, I think we'll be able to get out of here, ok?"

Willow nodded.

Buffy helped her out of the bed and found it hard, at first, as Willow was a little wobbly due to having woken up. The two managed to get out of the room and in the hallway, both creeping against the wall.

"So, how do we get out?" Willow asked.

Buffy thought for a moment and then looked to see a fire-escape sign on the stairs door.

"I have an idea." She said, and took Willow by the wrist and took them through the door. The two went down the long stairway down to the bottom, stopping only when another door opened and one of the orderlies stepped inside to smoke a cigarette. Once he had gone back outside, they continued they're decent to the bottom floor and found a door that led outside that was marked "exit".

"Ok," Buffy said, "Here's what we'll do once we've gotten outside; hopefully it's in our world and nowhere else. We'll try to track down Giles, our Giles, and see if we can get back home safely and then we'll bring reinforcements and take this place down, alright?"

Willow nodded and smiled, "I'm happy you found me Buffy. For a minute there I was afraid I was alone and I was going to die."

Buffy smiled, "Not while I'm around. I'm a Slayer, whether they would like me to think I'm am or not."

Willow nodded.

Buffy then turned back to the door.

"Ok, here it goes." She then pressed on the latch and opened the door to reveal not the outside, which she thought it was but instead a pinkish void.

"What the-" Buffy pushed her hand forward, only to have her whole body flung backwards and the door swing shut. Buffy hit the back of the wall hard.

"Buffy!" Willow came rushing towards her and bent down to help bring her back up.

Buffy rubbed the back of her head, groaning. "What the hell."

"Buffy, what's going on? Are we…are we trapped here?" Willow asked in a hushed whisper.

"Ah, there you two are."

Both Buffy and Willow looked up to see Dr. Giles along with Spike and the orderlies, Liam and Riley.

"You gave us quite the run, you two." Giles said, smiling.

To be continued…

A/N: I apologize for having Willow so out of character in the last chapter. I'm still new at writing Buffy fanfics. Well I hope you enjoyed this installment and I hope that the reviews will come in for this chapter so I can go ahead and write the next one. Till then, review, review, and review; I'll be back soon after.

Q-n-P


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